Belt-buckle.



G. E. PRENTIGE. BELT BUCKLE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 28, 191

1,131,550. Patented Mar.9,1915.

'fina THE NORRIS PETERS ca, PHOTOVLITHOV, WASHING TON, D c.

- buckle.

"UMTEB STATES PATENT @FFTQE.

GEORGE E. PRENTICE, OF NEVT BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE G. E.

PRENTICE MANUFACTURING COIZEPANY, OF NEW BRITAIN,

CORPORATION.

CONNECTICUT, A

BELT-BUCKLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915..

Application filed August 28, 1914. Serial No. 859,085.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. PRENTICE, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Britain, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Belt-Buckles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in belt buckles, and the object ofmy improvement is simplicity and economy in construction and convenienceand efficiency in use.

In the accompanying drawing :Figure l is a front elevation of myimproved belt Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a sideelevation of the same. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 5 isan end elevation of the sameas viewed from the other end, and with theclamping lever omitted. Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line .90 c0 ofFig. 1. Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line y g of Fig. 1 of theframe. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the slide. Fig. 9 is a plan view of theroller. Fig. 10 is a plan view of the spring. Fig. 11 is a plan view ofthe blank for the frame.

My improved belt buckle comprises a frame 10, a clamping lever 11pivotally mounted at one end that is ordinarily for securing the fixedend of the belt and an inclined clamping lip 12 at the other end of thebelt for the loose end of the belt, a roll 13 for cooperating with thesaid lip in effecting such clamping, a slide 14 for guiding the saidroll, and a spring 15 for maintaining the said slide and roll intheclamping position. The tension of the belt serves to tighten the holdof the clamping roll 13 and the lip 12. The slide 14 travels in ways 16formed by turning over a portion of each side of the frame. The clampinglever 11 is pivotally mounted in ears 17 formed by turning over anotherportion of each side. A finger hole 18 is provided in the frame givingaccess to the slide 14.

The construction of the frame 10 may be considered in connection with adescription of the blank as shown in Fig. 11. The said blank comprises arectangular body portion 24 having the opening 18 at the right of themiddle, leaving material at the extreme right end to form the lip 12,and which lip is forced forwardly along the lines 19 to the positionshown in Fig. 6, ata slight inclination to the body portion. The rear orlnner wall of the opening 18 has a curved concave portion 20 at aboutthe middle. The edge portion on each side of the blank is divided into aright end portion and a left end portion by a slit which is composed ofa transverse portion 21 extending inwardly from the extreme edge for thegreater part of the extent of the edge portions, a short longitudinalportion 22 extending to the right from the inner end of the said outertransverse portion 21, and a second, inner transverse portion 23extending inwardly from the off-set portion 22 to the edge of the bodyportion 24. The said edge portions are bent as follows: Both are bentalong the line 25, corresponding to the side of the body portion 24. Theleft hand portion is divided by a longitudinal line 26, nto the ears 17,already mentioned, and an lntermediate connecting wing 27. By the bendalong the line 25 the connecting wing 27 is brought into abutment withthe face of the body portion 24; the ear 17 is bent along line 26 into aposition at right angles to the body portion 24, and is provided with apivot hole 28 to receive one of the pintles of the clamping lever 11.

The right hand portion of each edge portion is similarly divided in eachcase by a longitudinal line 29 into the outer part 30 and the inner part31, part 31 being bent at right angles to the body 24 and part 30 atright angles to part 31 to form the guide way 16. Thus the outer part 30of the blank serves when folded over as the roof or one of the inclosingwalls of the way 16, being separated from the body portion 24 suitablefor operatively housing the spring 15, slide 14 and roller 13. The mainportion of the said roof 30 is relatively narrow, and I pro vide at theinner portion thereof adjacent the slit 21 an extension 32 orcontinuation of the free edge, which extends inwardly from the twosides, as shown in Fig. 2, suitably to cover the end portion of thespring 15. Connected to the extension32 and the adjacent portion of theroof 30 is a lug 34, which is bent at right angles along the line 33.

It will be noted that the lug 34 is formed by the outer transverse slit21 and the longitudinal slit 22. The said lug 34 serves on the one sideas the bottom of a pocket for the end of the spring 15 and on the otherside, toward the clamping lever 11, serves as a stop for the fixed endof the belt to prevent the same from entering the housing space for thespring 15. The extreme outer end portion 43 of the roof 30 is turnedinwardly into the way 16 sufliciently to serve as a stop .for' limitingthe outward movement of the slide 14 and roll 13 and to prevent the samefrom falling out when disconnected .from the belt. The spring 15comprises a middle or bridging portion 35 that bridges the space betweenthe ways 16 and abuts by itsends against the lugs 34, and a pair of freearms 36 that extend inwardly from the ends of the middle portion 35, andgenerally at an inclination relatively thereto, so that the tip ends 37are opposed, and normally appreciably separated from the bridgingportion 35. It will be further noted that the bridging portion 35 andthe free arms 36 are connected by a return bend portion 38 at the ends,forming a flat portion for a short distance. This return bend portion 38is positioned between the lug 34 and slide 14 and .is suitable forengaging the opposed portion 39 of the slide 14 in case the latter:should'be moved to the extreme inward position. Also, the extreme ortip ends 37 of the free arms 36 are turned inwardly, and the middle part40 of the bridging portion 35 is offset inwardly, suitably to receivethe same when the free arms 36 are sprung inwardly to the extremeposition, coresponding to the extreme inward movement of the slide 14.

The roll 13 is a single piece of cylindrical material. The slide 14 isof skeleton construction and comprises side members 21 which loosely fitthe ways 16, and a pair of connecting bars 45, 46. The side members-41are provided adjacent their outer ends with inwardly opening-oppositelydisposed slots 42 for receiving the ends of the roll 13. The bar 45 isstraight and bar 46, which is at the rear of the slide, is curved tocorrespond with the curved portion 20 of the opening 18 in the body.This construction of the slide provides an operating opening 44 whichcorresponds generally with the opening 18 in the frame and is suitablefor admitting the finger, the same being accessible either from thefront or back of the buckle. In case the finger is inserted from thefront through the opening 18 into the opening 44 for releasing .thebuckle by pulling the slide 14 inwardly, the movement of the finger willbe limited by the edge 20, the finger being engaged with the inner edgeof the curved connecting bar 46. The other edge of the said curvedconnecting bar 46 is engaged with the ends of the spring arms 36.

The spring arms 36 tend to hold the roll in position adjacent the lip 12and separated therefrom by a space that is less than the thickness ofthe belt so that when the said belt is interposed between the roll andthe lip there will be a slight pressure on the belt, the tension ofthe-spring being sufficient to take up back-lash or loose play, theactual clamping being efiected by a'longitudinal pull on the belt. Theslide 14 serves to hold the roll 13 in position across the body of thebuckle "so that the ends thereof willbe positively held in engagementwith the ways 16.

It will be noted that as described the ways 16 are of skeletonconstruction, the opposed edges of the roof portion '30 at the rearbeing separated by an open space, and which space correspondsapproximately to the width of the belt receiving opening 18 and thewidth of the inclined clamping lip 12, being in fact slightly greaterthan the width of the said lip. That is to say, there is at the rear ofthe buckle an open space between the ways i 16 opposite the inclinedclamping lip 12, and

which is of sufiicient width to permit a belt to move back and forththerein such as would be accommodated'by the clamping lip 12. This openspace is utilized in effecting the release of the belt from thebuckle,by a simple tilting of the one relatively to the" other. WVith the beltin positionfor use such release is readily effected by simply graspingthe buckle only and tilting the clamping-the loose end of'the said beltcomprising a sliding device, the said frame comprising'a body portion'and lateral edge portions along the lateral edges of the said bodyportion, and the part of'the said lateral edge portion adj acent thesaid one endbeing turned over to provide ears for the said clampinglever, and the part thereof adjacent the said other end being turnedover to form a housing for operatively'housing the said sliding device.

2. In a belt buckle, a framehaving'clamping means for the fixed end of abelt at one end and a sliding device at the other end for engaging withthe loose end of a belt, a pair of lugs 34 on the said frame, and thesaid lugs serving on one side to limit the movement of the saidslidedevices and on the other to limit the position of the said fixedend of a belt.

3. A belt buckle comprising a frame having a clamping "lip at one end, aclamping roll having a to and fro movement relatively to the said lip,means for guiding the said roll, and spring means tending to move thesaid roll toward the said lip.

A. A belt buckle comprising a frame having a clamping lip at one end andguide ways along the lateral edges, a clamping roll, and a slideoperatively engaged with the said ways and having slots for the ends ofthe said roll.

5. A belt buckle comprising a frame having a clamping lip at one end andguide ways along the lateral edges, a clamping roll, a slide engagedwith the said ways and having slots for the ends of the said r015, and aspring engaged with the said sli e.

6. A belt buckle comprising a frame having a body portion, guide waysalong the lateral edges thereof, and a lip at one end thereof serving asa fixed clamping member, a sliding device engaged with the said waysserving as a moving clamping member and having a releasing bar, and thesaid body portion having an opening serving to give access to the saidreleasing bar for releasing the said clamping members.

7 A belt buckle comprising a frame having a body portion, ways along thelateral edges thereof, a clamping lip at one end thereof, and lugsclosing one end of the said ways, a sliding device engaged with the saidways, and a spring positioned in the said ways, supported by the saidlugs, and having free arms engaged with the said sliding device.

8. A buckle comprising a frame having a pair of ways, lugs closing theends of the said ways, and a clamping lip at one end, a sliding deviceengaged with the said Ways, a spring engaged with the said ways,c0mprising a straight portion adjacent the said lugs and a pair of armsextending inwardly from the ends of the said straight portion, and thefree ends of the said arms being engaged with the said sliding device.

9. A buckle comprising a frame having a pair of ways, lugs closing theends of the said ways, and a clamping lip at one end, a sliding devicecomprising lateral members engaged with the said ways and a crossconnecting device connecting the said lateral members, a spring made ofstrip material comprising at the lateral ends doubled portions engagedwith the said ways and arms having free ends engaged with the said crossconnecting device, the said doubled portions being interposed betweenthe said lugs and lateral members, and the said doubled portions beingconnected by a return bend of suitable lengths to serve as positivestops for the said lateral members.

10. A buckle comprising a body portion having a clamping lip at one end,ways extending along the lateral edges of the said body portion at therear side thereof, a sliding clamping device engaged with the said ways,and the said ways at the portion adjacent the said clamping lip beingseparated by an open space suitable for permitting a belt to have freemovement therein.

GEORGE E. PRENTIGE. Witnesses:

FRANK H. HALFORD, R. W. EDWARDS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

